


The Eyes of the Unknown

by MoonWillow333



Series: The Devil's Trap [2]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: A bit of gore, Gen, I'll add more tags later, Mentions of drugs, some violence, time travel a bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25397773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonWillow333/pseuds/MoonWillow333
Summary: After the devastating death of her friend, Allie finds herself thrown into an unknown place with her new guardian. Lost and angry, she and LJ must find a way on their own to strengthen their bond and take on the Old One himself. However, that may be easier said than done. Ten years into the future and in the sleepy town of Cold Springs, New York, she meets a new friend by the name of Avery Anelle, who seems to be harboring a secret themselves…
Series: The Devil's Trap [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825513
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

I took a deep breath, shuddering from the leftover pain of… whatever the hell that was. The crickets chirping sounded like the screeches of the damned and I put my hands over my ears. Cicadas sang and it was like someone was driving an icepick into my eardrums. Everything felt muffled, yet hypersensitive.

“Kid…?” I vaguely heard LJ, wincing at how loud his voice sounded. I groaned and hunched over, trying to calm the storm inside myself.

_Kid, you okay?_ LJ asked.

_Everything's a mess._ I replied. _Think I'm gonna be sick…_

_For fucks sake don't throw up._ _I'd rather not deal with your sick ass right now._

I huffed at his statement, but there was nothing to stop the rising bile in my throat as I keeled over, emptying my stomach onto the grassy floor below.

“God-fucking-dammit kid—" LJ groaned and I felt a hand on my back. The events that transpired before this came rushing back with a force. The blood, the metallic smell, the organs. Again, I heaved, coughing at the burn in my throat.

“…feel any better yet?” LJ asked quietly as I nearly collapsed onto the ground, but the entity acted quickly and caught me before I landed in my own vomit. “Taking that as a no.” He propped himself against a tree, laying back and setting me in his lap.

“Just relax, kid.” He said. “I'll look out for you.” I nodded and leaned back, using him as a pillow as I closed my eyes. 

***

I had no idea how long I slept for, but it was around midday when I woke up. I blinked and rubbed my eyes before stretching, feeling my back pop in several places.

“Oh, you’re actually awake.” I heard LJ mutter. I turned and looked up at him with a squint.

“Yeah, good morning to you too.” I grumbled while the entity rolled his eyes.

“It’s the fucking afternoon now, kid.” He retorted. “Now, you gonna get up or are you just gonna puke everywhere again?”

“Oh, shuddup.” I snapped, getting to my feet to brush myself off. A wave of dizziness hit me as I stumbled, only to be caught by LJ and set back on my feet.

“Will you quit being a stubborn asshole?” He snapped back.

“After you.” I countered as the monochrome entity growled at me. “What? You’re a stubborn asshole too.”

“Shut up kid. We don’t have time for this.” He sighed and rubbed a temple. “Fuck, where are we?”

“Wow, you don’t know where we are?” I asked sarcastically. “I thought maybe you went on a shopping spree while I was out.”

“Oh for fucks sake kid.” LJ huffed and glared at me. “I wasn’t feeling too hot either since you had to get sick. Fucking soul bound bullshit…” I rolled my eyes and looked around.

There wasn’t anything of real interest, besides us being in a forest. I frowned and looked back at LJ.

“Any chance there’s a town nearby?” I asked.

“What do I look like kid, a road map?” He replied irritably and I shot another glare at him.

“You’re a fucking entity dickwad. Can’t you like, I dunno, sense people or something?” I snapped at him.

“Oh, I dunno,” He mocked. “Lemme just tap into some psychic bullshit and see what I find, huh?”

“You don’t have to be such a fucking asshole about it!”

“I’m not your goddamn mother, what’d you expect? Want me to hold your hand while I’m at it?”

There was a sharp _snap_ and we both stopped our heated argument, heads snapping towards the sound with our guards up. The bushes beside us shifted and rustled as something hidden moved through them. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a small cottontail rabbit hopped from the bushes, sniffing the ground before hopping off.

LJ and I stared off after the small rodent before looking at each other. He looked highly disappointed and I narrowed my eyes at the entity.

“What?” I asked.

“You were about to shit your pants over a rabbit.” He pointed out dully.

“Shut the fuck up, asshole.”

***

There was a small town.

We wandered for a bit, still on edge, until we stumbled across a highway. This highway had led to a town by the name of Cold Springs, New York. Looked about as dead as a graveyard, in all honesty.

“Are we really doing this?” LJ asked grumpily while I shot him a glare.

“Yes, LJ.” I grumbled back. “Not like we have much of a choice.”

“We could go somewhere else.”

“Like where? A cave?”

“I was thinking a ditch.”

“I fucking hate you.”

A car drove by, probably going about sixty miles an hour and I glared at the metal box as it faded from view. I took a breath before walking down the street, heading deeper into the small town.

Shops and small stores where spaced pretty evenly as we passed, a cold breeze biting at my skin as I shoved my hands into my pockets. A terrible attempt to warm up really.

I shivered and LJ glared down at me, but I shrugged of his glare and continued down the street, looking for anything that could maybe help. Downside was we were alone, no money, nothing. Not even sure if we were in our same timeline honestly.

I confirmed this as I saw what seemed to be a HD billboard advertising some hotel. The pixels were sharp and the picture was so clear it was disorienting. Distracted, I nearly fell onto my face as my foot snagged the lifting concrete, stumbling before gaining my balance back.

“Nice.” LJ mocked as I resisted the urge to flip him off. Didn't need everyone thinking I was nuts too.

_Fuck off, asshole._ I snapped silently.

_Oh, I’m terrified kid._ LJ returned. _You’re what? Three pounds?_

I grumbled to myself and continued forward, head down to make sure I didn't trip again like an idiot. LJ seemed pleased with himself as we walked down the suddenly busy street, avoiding contact with people as much as we could.

Before long, the sun was beginning to set, dying the sky with oranges and purples. The temperature was dropping as the sun began to disappear.

“I’m cold.” I muttered dully.

“No shit,” LJ returned. “You’re shaking and you’re getting goosebumps.”

“Wow, thanks for letting me know, captain obvious.” I snapped, getting a strange look from a pedestrian. I flipped them off, watching them begin to walk faster away from me with slight triumph. “Now I look like a fucking psychopath.”

“You _are_ a fucking psychopath.” LJ pointed out and I hissed at him about to make a comeback when I looked across the street at an antique store. Oddly, I looked around before approaching the shop, pushing the door open and hearing the tingle of the bell. A guy with black hair, edges dyed an electric blue looked up and connected his blue-grey eyes with my greens.

“We’re closing soon.” He deadpanned, not looking too surprised at my sudden entrance. I frowned and shrugged, walking in.

“Eh, that’s fine.” I replied. “Gets me out of the cold for a bit.” The guy raised a brow at this and shrugged back, going back to whatever the hell he was doing. I began looking through all the knick-knacks and random things people got rid of at one point, raising a brow at some… pretty strange looking things. I swear to god one of the lamps was made from human flesh…

“Avery, did you—oh.” I snapped my head up as an older woman came into view, looking at me in surprise. “I didn't realize we still had some customers.”

“Just the one, mom.” The guy, Avery, muttered. “She just got here.” I narrowed my eyes at the two. Family? Must’ve been one of those businesses.

“Oh,” She replied before smiling at me. “Well, welcome to Anelle Antiques!”

“Anelle Antiques?” I echoed looking around. “Huh, neat.” The woman nodded and began spinning a tale of how her husband and her started collecting things and eventually opened this shop, running it along with their two kids.

“Addison is a little bratty at times,” Mrs. Anelle chuckled. “But she’s a good girl. And Avery does what h-they can, they’re a good help around the shop.” I tilted my head curiously at her phrasing for Avery and glanced over to the other.

“They?” I asked, referring to the pronouns as the black-haired individual looked at me.

“I’m agender.” Avery stated. “I go by they/them pronouns, if you don’t mind.” I nodded in understanding.

“Nice.” I replied while I heard LJ snort.

“Agender… the fuck is this Tumblr shit...” He muttered, mostly to himself. I did my best to ignore the monochrome entity as Avery shrugged.

“I’m whatever.” He returned dully and I couldn’t tell if he was trying to make a joke or not. Mrs. Anelle looked at the wall clock behind the checkout counter, a small frown on her features.

“Well, unfortunately it looks to be closing time…” She said softly as she turned to me. “It was very nice to meet you…?”

“Allie.” I greeted. “My name’s Allie and it’s nice to meet you too.” I frowned a bit before continuing. “Hey, are there any places open for people to like… sleep? That don’t cost anything… I’m kind of broke.” That cause the woman to look at me curiously.

“I… I don’t think so.” She replied hesitantly. “Why? What about your home?” I laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of my neck.

“It’s…. it’s complicated Mrs. Anelle.” I stated vaguely. “I don’t live around here and I… if I go home my family will be in danger.” Avery and their mother blinked and looked at each other before looking back at me.

“Should I call the police…?” She asked softly and I couldn’t help but scoff.

“Police can’t help me, ma’am.” I drawled. “Not even if they wanted to. My problem is a bit… too complicated to explain.”

“Yeah, tell the whole damn world kiddo.” LJ snorted. “Why don’t we just call _him_ here to fuck us up while we’re at it?” I glared at the entity from the corner of my eye.

_Shut up LJ._ I snapped.

“Is-Is it a gang problem?” The woman fretted. “Do you need a place to stay? Please, if there’s anything I can do, let me help.” I looked at Mrs. Anelle and froze for a split second, seeing my own mother for a moment before I looked away and shook my head.

“I-No, I’ll be fine.” I replied as I headed for the door. “Thank you, ma’am. Good luck with your business.”

Before they could say a word, I turn and ran out of the shop and into the bitter night, fighting back the emotions that threatened to unfold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I... totally forgot to put up a note on chapter 1. 
> 
> Anyways! It's been a long ass time since I've written... well anything. I kinda lost my spark for a while and just threw myself into working to support my mom. Let's just say my mental health tanked and it's been a rough road to better myself and get back on the right track. 
> 
> So, along with being slow paced like the first book, Eyes of the Unknown will probably be very slow to update as I'm trying to get back into writing. Regardless, I really hope you all enjoy, I've been trying to work on the world-building with my little bro and get more plot figured out so I know where this is all going. 
> 
> Until then, please enjoy! Leave comments or kudos, just let me know if you're enjoying the story so far!

“Kid.”

Silence.

“Goddamnit kid, answer me.”

I shivered and glared up at the entity while he returned my heated glare, towering over me as I hunched myself against a tree.

“What?” I snapped.

“The fuck was that?” He snapped back. “You could’ve had a place to stay, dammit.”

“So I can watch an innocent family die because of me? Not again, LJ, not after what happened to Kathrine…”

“So freezing yourself to death and letting a fucking demon take over the world is a better option?”

“Fuck off LJ!”

Another brief pause as we continued to glare at each other, a bone-chilling breeze skating across my skin as I shivered again and looked away.

“I swear to fucking God kid,” LJ grumbled as he crossed his arms. “If it wouldn’t kill me, I’d fucking kill you right now.”

“Yeah, noted.” I replied and rubbed my arms. Silence enveloped us as we stood in the cold, both pretty much pissed at each other. Another moment passes before LJ growls lowly, picking me up by the collar of my shirt.

“Hey!” I snapped and wiggled around, only managing to nearly choke myself. It wasn’t long before he set me down onto my feet and pushed me forward towards the town.

“Start moving, you pain in my ass.” He said. “You’re not staying out here, you’ll catch fucking pneumonia or some shit.” I glared until I was pushed forward once again.

***

I pulled a random book off the shelf, looking it over for a quick second before putting it back with a shrug. We walked for a while until we came across a library that just so happened to be open. It was a little odd, but I brushed it off and thanked whatever god existed for a place that was warm.

“You can’t stay in a library all night kid.” LJ pointed out and I frowned deeply.

_I know that, jackass._ I snapped. _It’ll be fine for now though._

“You’re the most stubborn piece of shit I’ve ever met.” He sighed. “Why don’t you find a fucking church or something.”

_Fuck churches. They’ll try and convert me to their religion._ I countered bitterly. The monochrome entity shrugged and muttered an agreement. I smirked a little, going to walk around the corner only to nearly get ran down by someone.

“The fuck-?” I growled and glared at the person, raising a brow as bloodshot browns looked back.

“O-Oh, haha, sorry.” The guy muttered with a nervous smile, looking me over. “Didn't notice ya there.” I glared.

“Yeah, obviously.” I snapped. “Watch where you’re going.” He wrinkled his nose at me and I resisted the urge to deck him in the face.

“Yeesh, you’re-uh-you’re kinda feisty, aren’tcha?” He said with a small grin. “You know, I have something that could help ya relax a bit.” I raised a brow at the guy.

“Excuse me?” I asked, trying to get him to be a little more specific. I was already pretty sure he was trying to sell me drugs. My question seemed to make his grin widen as he dug around his ratted hoodie for something.

“It’s some really great stuff, actually.” He starts. “Helps ya sleep at night and—”

“Are you trying to sell me drugs?” I asked, a bit dumbfounded that he’d be in a public place such as a library doing such a thing.

Then again, this was a small town from what I’ve seen.

The brunette looked up at me with wide, dilated eyes before holding a finger to his lips and shushing me. I gave him a bewildered look and shook my head.

“Look, I don’t want any of your cocaine or whatever.” I said blandly.

“No no! It’s-It’s not that!” He quickly said and I backed up, feeling LJ looming over me with a predatory glare at the brunette, growling as the other approached. “It’s more like… Xanax or weed. It’ll help you relax and sleep better, come on!” LJ snarled at the other, going to shove him back when there was a sudden dull _thump_. The brunette flinches and rubs his head, looking behind him while cursing under his breath.

“Percy, what the actual fuck.”

I narrowed my eyes to see the kid from the antique shop glaring at the brunette. ‘Percy’ let out a small laugh and looked at the other.

“Oh, uh, hey Av.” He greeted. “Long time no see.”

“Not long enough.” Avery replied dully. I sighed and rolled my eyes at the pair. How’d they even know each other? Was Avery a drug addict?

“Doubt it kid, he doesn’t have the characteristics of an addict.” LJ pointed out. I frowned and leaned down to pick up the book Avery threw while he-they argued with Percy.

“Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dummies?” I questioned aloud. The two stopped their dispute and looked at me, Avery giving a slight glare.

“Hey, I need that.” They said and outstretched their hand, silently asking for it back. I shrugged and gave it to them without much thought.

“Therapy Av? Didn’t know you wanted to be a counselor…” Percy whistled. Avery growled lowly at the brunette and fixed him with an icy stare.

“It’s none of your business Percy,” They stated. “Now get out of here or I’ll call the cops again.” Percy held up his hands in defense and backed away.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” He said with a smile before winking at me. “See you later, firecracker. Maybe you’ll be interested next time.” I silently fumed at the comment as I watched him disappear around another corner.

“Forget it, he’s always like that.” Avery said as I turned to them with narrowed eyes.

“You guys friends or something?” I asked brashly, crossing my arms. The black-haired individual let out a bitter laugh.

“At one time, maybe.” They replied vaguely. “Anyways, what’re you doing here? You kind of left in a hurry, I figured you left town.” I sighed and stuffed my hands into my pockets, looking up at the ceiling.

“Kinda just came in to dodge the cold.” I said. “It’s fucking freezing outside” Avery raised a brow at that.

“Don’t you have family or something to stay with?” They asked and I grumbled to myself.

“It’s… It’s complicated.” I muttered, looking down at my feet. The individual in front of me tilted their head before shuffling their feet as though they were nervous.

“Well…” They started. “I could… maybe talk to my parents. They might be able to help you-” Now it was my turn to become confused, looking up at the other with a questioning gaze.

“And why would you do that?” I inquired. “I literally just met you today, man.” Avery shrugged indifferently.

“My parents like to help.” The other replied simply. “You wouldn’t be the first they've tried helping. Besides, it’ll get you out of the cold for the night.” I frowned, feeling a small nudge on my shoulder.

“Don’t argue kid or I’ll snap your neck.” LJ grumbled and I forced myself not to turn and glare at the entity.

“Sounds good.” I agreed, looking at Avery. “Lead the way dude.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, very dialogue heavy, very short... I apologize for that...  
> I'm hoping later chapters are better I'm still getting back into the swing of things.  
> I'll see you guys in the next one!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for all the views! I've watched them slowly start climbing, I'm honored! I hope y'all enjoy the next chapter, sorry for the slow pacing.
> 
> Edited: 12/16/2020

“You sure your parents are gonna be okay with this?” I asked as we walked into the antique shop. Avery nodded and unlocked what seemed to be a gate into the upstairs.

“They won’t mind.” They replied. “They’re pretty chill about…. Well, most things.” I raised a brow and shrugged. At least it got us out of the cold for a while and LJ wouldn’t have a goddamn aneurysm.

The black-haired individual waved their hand for me to follow as we climbed the stairs to the other part of the building. It was small, yet cozy and had that homey feel to it. Another pang of homesickness shot through me as we entered what seemed to be a small dining room/kitchen. The woman from before was standing at the sink, doing dishes and humming to herself before she turned to greet Avery.

“Hello Ave-oh!” She looked surprised to see me again. “Hello again!” I waved and smiled at her greeting, feeling way out of place.

“Evening Mrs. Anelle.” I replied politely.

“Oh, there’s no need to be so formal dear!” She laughed lightly. “Please call me Eliza.” I chuckled a bit awkwardly and looked away, rubbing my neck.

“Hey, mom, is it okay if she stays with us for a bit?” Avery asked. “She doesn’t have a place.” At that Mrs. Anelle—Eliza—looked at me with worry and confusion.

“What about your parents, honey?” She asks.

“It’s… complicated Mrs. An—Eliza.” I replied dully and looked away.

“They must be worried about you, dear—”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, I can’t see my family right now.” I deadpanned. “The situation is complicated and if I go back there’s a chance someone is going to get hurt because of me.” The petite woman stared at me, her worry growing as her brows furrowed and she bit her lip, as though she was in deep thought about my words. Avery, on the other hand, shrugged their shoulders and waved a hand.

“She just needs a place to stay until she can get home, right?” They said, looking at me with a raised brow. I looked at them for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah.” I agreed as Eliza looked between the two of us. A small frown set on her features before she let out a soft sigh.

“I… suppose it’s alright.” She relented but seemed cautious. “Just… please be careful?” Avery nods and motioned for me to follow them once again. I followed silently, snickering softly as I caught a glimpse of LJ grumbling and hunching over to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling.

***

There was a murmur of voices.

I shrugged it off and tried falling back into the abyss of sleep, brows furrowing together as whoever was speaking tried to keep their voice low, yet I could hear the excitement in their words. I laid there motionlessly, on the cusp of sleep, when there was the sound of glitching and distortion. The hell was going on?

I cracked an eye open to glare at the source of the noise, seeing Avery glaring at their computer and whispering to it.

“What the actual fuck.” They muttered. “I was in the middle of a call—”

“Yeah, well, she can wait.” A voice retorted from the computer. It glitched a few times, making whoever it was sound more demonic than the average person.

“She can—dude, I literally have to stay up until three in the morning just to talk to her!” Avery snapped.

“There’s always tomorrow, Av. Don’t get so pissy…”

“Says the guy that literally gets pissy when I ignore him.” I raised a brow and blinked awake, looking around until I spotted LJ leaning casually against the adjacent wall from the bed.

_Dude, what the fuck is going on?_ I asked as LJ looked at me with what seemed to be curiosity and irritation.

“Dunno yet kid,” He replied. “Looks like your friend here was talking to someone and this idiot interrupted.” I grumbled and sat up, looking at Avery as they looked at me with wide eyes.

“I, uh,” They stumbled over their words. “Didn’t mean to wake you, sorry—”

“Who’re you talking to-?” I asked groggily. Avery stiffened a bit, glancing at their computer before looking back at me.

“A friend.” They replied.

“Your friend can change her voice from a peppy girl to a dude that just hit puberty?” I pressed and the individual shifted uncomfortably.

“She’s in acting?” They tried and I narrowed my eyes.

“Is that a question?” Avery sighed heavily and threw their hands in the air.

“Can we drop it?” They asked as they turned back to their computer.

“Why? Now you got me all curious.” I replied with a grin.

“Kid…” LJ warned, narrowing his eyes at me.

“There’s nothing to be curious about.” Avery deadpanned as they started fiddling with their computer again. I was silent for a beat, thinking of what I could say to throw them off a bit before tilting my head.

“Were you talking to a prostitute?” I asked and I heard LJ groan in frustration while Avery turned and gave me a look of horror.

“NO!” They shouted, but they were joined by another voice from the computer. I smirked triumphantly and nodded to the computer.

“Who the fuck is that.” I asked, smile still on my face, but my tone betrayed my distrust. Avery stared at me, debating their answer before shaking their head.

“It’s nothing.” They replied and I glared.

“Av, tell me.” I pressed.

“Why do you want to know?” They snapped and turned to glare at me. Things were quiet again as we held a glare war between the two of us.

“Kid, don’t start something.” LJ warned.

_Fuck off LJ._ I snapped as I glanced at the entity before looking back at Avery. The individual followed my gaze before returning my glare once again. 

“What’re you looking at?” They asked.

“Tell me who you were talking to and I’ll tell you.” I bargained. Avery shook their head and sighed deeply, rubbing their face as though they were trying to console a child.

_He is._

_Fuck. Off. LJ._

“You wouldn’t believe me.” They said.

“Try me.” I deadpanned and they looked at me with annoyance.

“It’s a long story.”

“So’s mine.”

“Can you _please_ just drop it!” They pleaded and I rolled my eyes, getting out of the bed and heading for the door. “Hey, wait, where are you going—”

“I’m going out for a goddamn walk before I kick your damn face in.” I snarled, reaching for the doorknob but Avery was out of their chair and blocking me from the exit before I could. “ _Move_.”

“No, you’ll wake my parents and they’ll be asking a lot of questions.” They said and I frowned deeply before turning to the window.

“ Well, guess I’ll use that.” I said as I headed for the window and Avery balked at me.

“You’re kidding, we’re on the second floor!” They exclaimed, gesturing to the small opening in the wall. “You’ll break something or worse, die!”

“You’re going to fucking do it, aren’t you?” LJ grumbled as he pushed off the wall and followed me.

“Yep, gonna do it.” I replied to LJ, opening the window as the cool air rushed in, making me shiver. Avery gaped at me for a split second before rushing over to try and shut the window.

“Don’t be stupid.” They snapped and I wrinkled my nose.

“You don’t even know me Av.” I countered and shoved them away, climbing up onto the sill and looking out at the darkened town. LJ shook his head in disapproval and grumbled to himself.

“I know you enough to say you’re fucking suicidal!” They retorted and I laughed, giving them a grin before jumping to the sidewalk beneath me. I felt a pang of irritation shoot through me as LJ followed and made sure I landed safely. I could hear Avery make a strangled gasp as they rushed to the window, looking down at me in confusion.

“What—”

“See you later Av.” I waved, walking off into the night.

***

“You’re a fucking idiot.”

I snorted at LJ’s insult, rolling my eyes as I continued walking through the small town with a slight frown on my face.

“You always say that.” I retorted and the entity shakes his head.

“Because it seems like you constantly need a reminder.” He sneered and I turned to glare at him. He simply narrowed his eyes back at me and I could feel his irritation once again.

“You know Av could be siding with Zal.” I said as I crossed my eyes. LJ raised a brow at me.

“Zal?” He deadpanned.

“Yeah, Zal. You know, evil demon thing that wants to kill us?” There was a beat of silence before LJ sighed and rubbed a temple.

“You called him Zal.” He muttered.

“Yeah, it’s better than just saying ‘him’ all the time.” I replied as LJ just looked at me with the whole ‘what the fuck’ look. I shrugged and turned a corner, taking a short cut through an old alley way. Shadows webbed along the walls, making it seem as though I was walking through a basement or dungeon of sorts.

“Kid it isn’t safe out here,” LJ growled. “We should go back.”

“LJ, seriously,” I snapped. “I’m going to cave Avery’s face in if I go back now.” LJ rubbed his face in irritation.

“Allie we’re in some serious shit, you know that?” He deadpans. “As much as I hate to fucking admit it, Slender was right when he said we weren’t prepared. If ‘Zal’ is tailing us, we’re fucked if we get caught.” I frowned and crossed my arms, eyes focused on the ground. “Being out in the open like this is only going to cause problems, kid.” I sighed deeply and sagged my shoulders, not meeting the entity’s gaze.

“I… I know, LJ,” I muttered. “It’s just… fucking irritating.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” He agreed. A beat of silence passed between us, nothing but the sounds of small skittering and the slight wind that had picked up.

“Come on, kid.” LJ beckoned as he turned to head out of the alley. I grumbled as I began to follow, feeling a bit creeped out as my hand brushed against a spider web and shook the feeling off. Pain erupted in the back of my hand as I yelped, grabbing my hand and furrowing my brows in confusion.

Golden strings, about as thin as a spider’s web, clung to my hand. They were pulled taut, holding my hand up by the veins under my skin as something _pulled_ on them. My hand followed, the pain flaring again as I was turned back to the alley. I heard LJ hiss in pain and follow my lead, looking up to glare at something on one of the buildings.

“Mother fucker…” LJ snarled as a deep laughed bounced off the walls.

“Well, well,” It spoke and I looked up at the source, glaring angrily at the shadowed figure. They held one hand out, the golden strings connected to their fingertips as they walked into the stray light. “Look at what I caught… a stray _soul bound_ …”

He grinned down at us, gold eyes contrasting greatly with his light grey skin. Shoulder length black hair mostly obscured by a light grey beanie. He kneeled down and tilted his head at us, chuckling softly.

“That was way easier than I was thinking.” He mused as LJ and I snarled. “Guess you guys aren’t that strong after all, are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh buddy, things are starting to get spicy!  
> Stay tuned for more, still having a major writers block but I'll try to get chapters out every couple weeks for you guys. See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know it's been a hot second but allow me to explain.
> 
> Long story short, my desktop malfunctioned. Somehow it was missing a component needed to start up and would not let me start my computer. So, I had to send it in to get fixed which took exactly a month to do, and I fell into a bit of a depression during this time. I lost all of my files on my pc and it was disheartening(luckily I have the document saved on my onedrive, but I had no way to upload the story). 
> 
> But! I got my pc back, and I'm gonna start up writing again! I am so sorry this took so long and I'll try to keep a steady schedule. Thank you guys for sticking with me through all of this. Can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you that take the time to read this. :)
> 
> Edited: 12/16/2020
> 
> Also, minor warning for a bit of gore, I guess. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The fucking Puppeteer.

I growled lowly as the man pulled the strings a bit, making both LJ and I hiss in pain as our hands moved forward a bit. He laughed and jumped from the top of the building, landing silently on his feet as he stalked forward.

“And here I thought you two would put up more of a fight…” He hummed in disappointment. “Shame. Don’t know what Lord Zalgo sees in your soul…” I pulled at the strings in my hand, flinching. It felt as though I was ripping out my own veins instead of strings, like they had melded into a part of me.

“Wouldn’t do that, sweetheart,” The Puppeteer cooed cruelly. “You’ll just end up tearing your hand apart.”

“Fuck you.” I spat as I tugged against the strings again, biting my lip as tears began to well up in my eyes from the pain. The Puppeteer chuckled again, seeming to summon more of the strings and tossed them lazily our way. LJ reacted quickly and dodged out of the way, only for the Puppeteer to pull the strings connected to my hand harshly. We jolted forward as our hands were pulled, wincing at the pain once again while the Puppeteer laughed at our misfortune.

_LJ we gotta do something about these strings-_ I told the entity.

 _You think I don’t fucking know that kid?_ He retorted angrily. I scowled at the entity and shook my head.

_He’s going to-_ I didn’t get to finish as LJ maneuvered us to dodge more strings, one catching my cheek and a small cut formed.

_He’s going to fucking kill us if we don’t pay attention._ LJ snapped and I felt my anger boil.

_He’s going to kill us anyways if we don’t take care of these goddamn strings!_ I snapped back.

_Dammit kid just fucking listen to me-_ We just barely dodged the next volley of strings, this time catching LJ’s shoulder and I hissed as the same wound appeared on my shoulder.

“Hey!”

I froze, eyes wide as I snapped my attention to the voice that had just called out. No fucking way were they that _stupid_ to follow me…

“ _Avery_?!” I practically screeched. LJ snarled and kept his gaze on the Puppeteer, who was distracted by the other human running up to the scene with wide blue eyes.

“All—oh shit—” They muttered as they looked at the strings.

“And who is this?” The Puppeteer asked, seeming a tad irritated by the interruption. Avery blinked and looked us all over for a moment before holding their hands up.

“I, uh, listen buddy—” Avery started before the Puppeteer sighed deeply, launching the strings at the individual. They yelped a bit and managed to dodge them as the Puppeteer wasn’t too focused on them.

“This doesn’t concern you, little human.” He sneered. “Leave.” I hissed as the strings in my hand tightened. Avery didn’t seem as though they were leaving anytime soon, looking at me before back at Puppeteer.

“Listen, my friend there looks _very_ uncomfortable and you should _probably_ let her go man…” Avery deadpans and I had the urge to kick them in the face as the Puppeteer laughs mockingly.

“Or _what_?” The Puppeteer taunted. “What are you going to do, little boy?”

“Wow, I’m going to stop you right there.” Avery said. “I am _agender_ and I go by _they/them_ pronouns. Fuck you sir.” I sighed to myself as the Puppeteer was distracted.

I reached out and grabbed the strings connected to my hand, wincing slightly as pain flared through my veins.

_Kid, what the fuck—_

I screamed as I pulled hard, feeling the nerves flare and tear apart. It was almost the equivalent of having an IV put into your hand by a three-year-old; all while having them shaking the needle around like a baby rattle. I could feel my flesh tear, hearing it split apart as I removed the strings. My ears were ringing from the pitch of my own screams and I could feel warm tears fall down my face, looking down at my bloodied and mangled hand with shock. Flesh just above my veins hung in shredded clumps as the blood flowed like water and I could feel my world tilt just a bit as a wave of nausea hit me.

There was another scream that I could barely register at first before I realized it was _LJ_. My focus shifted as I turned to the entity. His hand was also bloodied and mangled, black blood dripping to the surface below as his eyes flared with anger.

_WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK KID!?_ I winced as he shouted. _HOW FUCKING STUPID CAN YOU BE?_ I didn’t have the strength to answer him, holding onto my hand to try and stop the rapid blood flow. I choked back another scream of pain as the raw muscle burned from the touch.

“Holy shit Allie!” I turned my gaze to Avery, their eyes widened again as they looked at my hand. The Puppeteer snarled as he had lost control over LJ and I.

“Stupid human…” He muttered before turning to Avery. “You’ll be a good puppet for now.” Strings flew from his fingertips and towards Avery, this time with the intent to hit them as the individual froze up. It didn’t take Avery too much to dodge some of the strings, a few scratching the side of their face as they passed them. I lurched forward to help Avery, but LJ roughly grabbed my shoulder and shoved me back.

_Don’t even fucking think about it,_ He snapped. _You’ve already fucked us over enough._

_Dammit LJ they’re in trouble!_

 _Not our fucking problem._ I turned to glare at the entity, but he didn’t even look my way as he kept his focus on the other entity. The Puppeteer laughed darkly as Avery kept up their dodging, but it was obvious they were becoming tired. It only took one misstep for the strings to finally hit Avery, clinging to their skin as they began to mold to the individual’s flesh.

Loud static erupted as translucent, lightning blue electricity sparked from Avery’s very being, travelling up the golden strings and hitting the Puppeteer before the other could even process what was happening. He shrieked in pain and recoiled, glaring up at Avery with malice as the lighting around the alley began to flicker before the bulbs shattered and the faint lighting disappeared. LJ growled lowly and backed away a bit, using his good hand to drag me back with him and out of the way.

“You stupid fucking poltergeist.” Avery said slowly, although there was something wrong. Their voice was a tad deeper, slight glitches in their wording made it almost sound as though it was just an audio glitch. The Puppeteer seemed confused for a moment before backing away a bit from the individual.

“What—” The Puppeteer didn’t get a chance to finish as Avery launched themselves at him, fist connecting with his abdomen in a blur of blue light that knocked the other back a few feet and into the wall.

“You don’t fucking touch this human, _they’re mine._ ” The voice snarled through Avery, glitching heavily. The Puppeteer pulled himself up from the wall, glancing from Avery to LJ and I, as though he was trying to figure out something. With a scoff he backed away.

“This isn’t over,” He growled before he seemed to vanish before our eyes. Everything was quiet after that and I was honestly surprised that no one had come to see what the actual fuck what happening. Avery finally turned to look at us, avoiding eye contact.

“I, uh, yo-you guys okay?” Their voice sounded funny, as though whatever had possessed them was still there.

“ _Just fucking peachy…_ ” LJ snarled at the other and Avery visibly stiffened a bit from the sound.

“I’m fine…” I said before narrowing my eyes. “What do you mean ‘you guys’?” I knew Avery couldn’t see LJ, even in the state we were in now. LJ kept himself hidden from people unless they had a natural gift for seeing the supernatural.

“I-Never mind.” They muttered, looking away and starting to go back to their home. “Let’s go back to the house so I can patch your wound.” I glared at them for a moment.

“You’re not Avery.” I deadpanned and they turned to look at me.

“Of course I’m Avery.” They said, laughing a bit nervously. “Who else would I be, Allie?” I frowned at them, going to speak again before LJ pushed me forward.

“Get going kid, I don’t want to bleed out from a fucking _mistake_.” He snarled and I bit my cheek to keep myself from snapping at him, following ‘Avery’ as we walked back to the house.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so not much has happened enough for me to make a note   
> But I did get a job! So updates... might be even slower. I apologize in advance for everyone who reads, but I do appreciate all of you who stick with me on this.
> 
> Enjoy!

I winced as ‘Avery’ sprayed the disinfectant on my hand, hissing and cursing under my breath. I could hear LJ behind me growling as well, causing ‘Avery’ to glance up at the entity every so often.

“Who are you.” I demanded as they hesitated before laughing a bit nervously, reaching to grab the gauze.

“I’m Avery, Allie, who else would I be?” They said as they began to wrap my hand.

“No you’re not, you’re something else.” I snapped, hissing again as the cotton-like fabric touched the raw flesh of my hand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” They muttered. “Seriously Allie—”

“What’s your friend’s name? The one that was in the library?”

That stopped them for a moment, a small hesitation before they laughed and shook they’re head, as though shaking the conversation off.

“Come on, that’s not important Allie.” They say. “What about the guy that attacked you?”

“No fucking way ‘ _Avery_ ’.” I sneered. “Tell me who the fuck you _really_ are and then maybe I’ll talk about it.” The individual frowned at me for a few moments before pinching the bridge of his nose and groaning in frustration.

“Fine, fuck, whatever.” They muttered, waving a hand. “You’re right, I’m not Avery. My name’s Ben, okay?” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.

“Ben?” I asked as Ben rolled his eyes with a deep sigh.

“Yeah, Ben. B-E-N. You need me to write it out?” He snapped. I growled at the other, studying him for a moment.

“What are you, a ghost or something?” I pressed, but Ben seemed to brush me off.

“Sure, whatever.” He replies heatedly. “Think what you want.” I grumbled to myself before casting a glance at LJ, seeing if the entity had any input.

_Fuck off kid, I’m still pissed off at you._ He snarled at me and I rolled my eyes, looking back to the ghost.

“You gonna tell me why that guy attacked you or just glare at the emo clown over there?” Ben asked, nodding towards LJ. I snorted in amusement as LJ glared at the ghost with malice.

“Eh, you tell me why you’re possessing Avery and maybe I’ll tell you what went down.” I replied, looking back at Ben. The other frowns before putting his hands behind his head.

“They were fucking around with the game cartridge I was trapped in.” He says. “When they hooked me up to their computer, I was able finally able to do more than glitch a game. I could communicate properly.” I listened, squinting a bit at the explanation.

“… why were you sealed in a game cartridge?” I asked. Ben scoffed, glaring off at the wall across from him.

“… I don’t know.” He says. “Avery is actually trying to help me find out.” I nodded before remembering the book Avery got at the library.

“So that’s why they needed the book…” I muttered, causing Ben to squint at me.

“What book?” He asked and I shrugged.

“Eh, some psychology book or something.” I replied. “Don’t remember the details.” The other scoffs lightly and shakes his head.

“Fine, I’ll ask Av then.” He grumbled before continuing to patch my hand. Everything fell into silence at that, the only sounds being LJ and I’s hisses of pain from the sting of antibiotics and gauze.

_… how long you gonna be mad at me?_ I asked quietly, causing LJ to glance over at me again before he sighs softly.

_Answer me this, kid,_ He starts, eyes narrowed. _Why in the actual_ fuck _would you think this was a good idea? You’re lucky it was just our hand._ I bit the inside of my cheek, my gaze falling to the side as I wondered myself why I had just… ripped out the strings. It was almost like it was a primal need to just _escape_.

“There.” Ben said, breaking my train of thought as I looked up at him. “Ain’t perfect but it’ll work for now.” I flexed my hand a bit, wincing a little at the pain before nodding.

“Thanks.” I replied.

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” He says before his eyes narrow once more. “Now I think I deserve an explanation of what happened.”

***

Ben’s brows were furrowed in a cross between confusion and irritation after I explained how LJ and I had ended up in Cold Springs, almost as though he was still trying to process our tale.

“So, lemme get this straight…” He starts, looking at us. “You two… _accidently_ did this soul bind thing and now one of the most powerful demons in the underworld wants your soul?”

“Uh, basically?” I replied and the ghost groaned.

“Okay, okay… say I believe that bullshit.” He rubs his eyes. “Why you of all people? If a bond can happen that easily, shouldn’t there be _others_ besides yourself?” I blinked at that. Slender said something about us being the first one in literal years… but Ben did have a point.

There couldn’t just be us, right?

“Don’t think too hard kid, you’ll hurt yourself.” LJ grumbled and I glared at him. Ben let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

“Okay, okay… this is… you know what? I don’t got time for this.” He said, sighing and standing up. “I got my own shit to deal with and this is… beyond me.”

“Yeah, thanks for the oh so helpful advice.” I drawled sarcastically, causing Ben to glare.

“Hey, I fixed your stupid hand.” He points out. “Least you could do is be a little grateful.” I narrowed my eyes before sighing and shaking my head.

“Fine… thanks for the fix.” I mumbled. The other frowns a bit before shrugging and walking back over to the computer.

“Wasn’t so hard, now was it?” He sneers and I flipped him off with my good hand, growling lowly. That seemed to only make him laugh, waving a hand.

“Geez, you’re so uptight. Both of you.” He muses before flashing a grin. “You guys could use some R&R.”

“Like that’s so easy for us right now.” LJ growls as the ghost shrugged.

“Hey, being tense all the time ain’t gonna help either.” He points out. “Gonna make it worse I bet. But hey, what do I know, right?” LJ scoffs and looks away, slumping heavily against the wall. I rubbed my face, wincing lightly as the gauze pulled against my skin. So many questions swirled in my mind at that moment. Was there more soulbounds out there? If so, why did Slender lie to us? And what made us so special anyways?

I shook my head and went to stand, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. I looked up to LJ, eyes narrowing in preparation for another argument.

“We should lay low, kid.” He said. “After that run in, we’re probably on the radar again.” I frowned a bit, looking at my hands. He was right and I’m sure the Puppeteer was on his was to let Zal know where we were.

_But what about Avery?_ I asked. _He saw him… won’t he know where to look?_

“Dunno, he might but there’s no guarantee.” LJ replies. “You can’t expect to protect everyone, Allie. You can barely protect yourself.” My anger flared at that.

_I can defend myself just fine-_

“Yeah, alone maybe. Against your own kind. But that’s not the case, is it?” LJ interrupts before rubbing his temple in irritation. “But now you got worse problems. And we gotta learn to work as a unit now.” I fall quiet at that, sighing deeply.

“That’s a very one sided conversation.” Ben interrupts.

“Shut up, it’s called telepathy.” I snapped back. Ben simply laughed and shrugged off my anger, leaning back in Avery’s computer chair.

“Well, you guys could always start small. Library or the internet might have info for ya.” He offers. “Maybe you’ll find a lead somewhere.”

“But what about the Puppeteer?” I asked. “What if he comes back? He knows what Avery looks like, I don’t want him to use Avery as a tool.” Ben’s gaze darkened at that.

“He’d have to get through me first.” Ben said lowly, pausing for a moment before his countenance returned to normal. “Seriously, don’t worry about Av. I’ll keep an eye on them.” I frowned. I didn’t know how well I trusted Ben with Avery’s wellbeing…

_You don’t got much of a choice, kid._ LJ pointed out and I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and leaning back.

He was right, after all. I didn’t have a choice.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first and foremost… I am so sorry for the delay on this chapter. 
> 
> I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I hate updating 'chapters' only to put author notes because I feel like it's a bit of a let down. So I probably will never do that. Ever. If you don't hear from me for a while, I've probably been just busy and trying to keep working on the story. 
> 
> As for the reason why it took so long for this update, I actually got really sick. I was dizzy and could barely stand and slept for most of the time. I took about two weeks off of work because of it and luckily, it wasn't Covid, but I did have a viral infection that wiped me out. 
> 
> And that brings me to my final point... this is the last pre-written chapter I have. :( After this chapters will be extremely delayed and I apologize in advance. It's been very hard to write and I'm trying to get back into the mood to write again. It's an uphill battle but just know that I'm not giving up on this story! 
> 
> With that, enjoy this chapter!

I groaned softly, sitting up and rubbing my face with my uninjured hand before looking around. The world around me was grey, thin trees standing tall and blocking most of the sunlight as a fog covered the horizon. Where the hell was I?

“I’m surprised you don’t recognize this place.” LJ mused and I jumped, quickly getting to my feet and glaring at him for a moment before relaxing.

“Jesus Christ, LJ,” I grumbled. “What the fuck man…”

“Relax kid, beside I brought you here for a reason.” I glanced up at the taller, brows furrowed as he looked down at me with his eyes narrowed.

“Training. I brought you here for training.” He deadpans and I wrinkled my nose.

“Can’t this wait ‘til I sleep a bit?”

“Too dangerous and besides, we can’t go out into the woods without the risk of running into unwanted company. This is the best place.”

“Okay, what’re we gonna do, fight each other?”

Something knocked my feet out from under me and I fell to the ground with a grunt, sitting up on my hands and knees before glaring at my guardian.

“Something like that.” LJ grinned and I snarled, darting towards him, only for him to sidestep me and I plummeted to the ground once again. I stood only to be kicked back down, groaning.

“Fucking hell—what the fuck LJ!?” I snarled as he pressed his boot against my back, keeping me pinned to the ground.

“C’mon kid. What’re you gonna do if I ain’t there to protect you?” He asks. “You’re gonna have to defend yourself. Keep your guard up at all times.”

“Fuck you!”

“Tap into the bond, get yourself out of this.” I struggled, but LJ kept his foot planted firmly on my back. Tap into the bond? What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

“Exactly as it sounds, quit screwing around.” LJ snapped.

“Stop reading my thoughts!” I snapped back as the other scoffed.

“Wish I could, trust me.” I growled at him and took a breath, closing my eyes as I tried to focus and… grasp anything mentally that could help. I lost my concentration as LJ pushed down once again on my back, groaning as I tried once again to shake him off. He sighed deeply, throwing me off guard once again as he removed his foot and grabbed me by the back of my shirt, pulling me up to my feet.

“You’re a pain in my ass.” He grumbled as I rubbed my back, glaring at him venomously.

“Asshole…” I hissed back.

“Yeah, yeah, get over it.” He waves a hand. “We’re gonna get attacked a lot, probably separated. They’re counting on you to be weak and unprepared.” I frowned at that, glaring at the ground in thought.

“Stop that and pay attention.” LJ snapped again, and once again I was knocked to the ground. However, this time, I rolled out of the way and stood once more, glaring at the entity before me. “Good, keep going.” I ducked as LJ lashed out at me with a clawed hand.

***

I awoke groggily, my limbs feeling as though they were made of lead. My hand burned from the gauze rubbing against it and I groaned softly turning over to see Avery at their computer typing away. They looked over upon hearing me shift, blinking a few times.

“Oh, morning.” They greet, rubbing their neck. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” I replied, my voice cracking a bit as I rubbed my eyes. Avery nods slowly, fiddling with their hands.

“Right, uh,” They mutter, seeming to try to formulate a sentence. “So… last night…”

“Last night was bullshit.” I snapped.

“Maybe, but I don’t remember anything after that… guy threw some strings at me… then I woke up at my computer.” They say. I rubbed my face, wincing from the pain in my hand before giving Avery a slight glare.

“What?” I demanded grumpily before they sighed.

“Somebody’s cranky… but that looks like it wasn’t patched very well.” They reply, motioning for me to sit up. “Here, I’ll fix it. Probably needs to be changed anyways.” I grumbled in protest before leaning up, rubbing an eye with my good hand as Avery went to get the gauze and disinfectant.

Once they returned, I offered my injured hand and they started to remove the bandages. It was quiet for a few moments as they went about dressing my hand.

“So are you seriously not gonna tell me anything?” They ask and I scoffed lightly.

“Why bother?” I replied. “You didn't miss much.”

“I want to know what happened to me.” They snapped suddenly, causing me to fall quiet in a bit of shock. They seemed a bit surprised themselves, blinking before shaking their head and sighing deeply. “Sorry… I just want to know what the actual _fuck_ is happening.”

“… you and me both, buddy.” I mumbled, staring at my hand as the other wrapped gauze around it. There was a beat of silence before Avery continued.

“So, did you know that guy that attacked you?” They asked.

“Not personally.” I admitted. “It’s…. it’s a really long story Av.”

“I am literally not going anywhere anytime soon.” I rubbed my face in irritation, groaning loudly.

“I don’t even know how to fucking start.” I deadpanned.

“The beginning?”

“Too long and convoluted. Hell, I barely get what’s going on.”

“Just fucking tell h-them kid.” LJ growled. “I’m tired of hearing you bickering.”

“Why don’t _you_ tell them, you fucking asshole.” I snapped, glaring at the entity with anger before realizing what I had done. Avery furrowed their brows and looked to the corner of their room before looking back at me with concern.

“Alls… you doing okay?” They ask slowly and I rolled my eyes.

“Fuck it, you wanna know what happened? Fine, I’ll tell you.” I quipped. “I’m being hunted down by some fucking demon because apparently, I got something he wants. The guy in the alley? A lackey of his. You got in the way. He tried to use you as leverage against me and it almost worked until you got possessed by this ghost guy named Ben. He really saved your ass Av.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Avery held their hands out to signal me to slow down. “Hang on, wait a second… did you say a _demon_ is after you? For what? And I got _possessed_? You’re kidding right? You know this sounds—”

“Fucking crazy?” I finished, eyes narrowing. “Trust me, I’m aware.”

“Okay… okay…” They mumble. “Just… slow the fuck down and don’t rush your sentences together. What’s going on?” I paused at that, taking a deep breath, and letting it out before looking at them.

“… okay,” I started. “I went with my aunt to investigate this orphanage, because my mom gave me the choice of doing that or going to summer school. And fuck that… anyways, we were trying to figure out stuff about this ‘demon’ that was haunting one of the kids. One, it wasn’t a demon at all, and two, I kind of befriended the guy. Long story short, the orphanage owner got pissy and called in a demonologist because she refused to think she was wrong.” I took a breath, furrowing my brows before continuing. “The demonologist she called made a sigil trap in the attic and lured the guy into it, trapping him up there before getting everyone out of the orphanage and setting the damn place on fire.”

“You’re fucking kidding me right?” Avery asked. “He lit the place up with that guy inside.”

“Well, that guy still wasn’t human.” I replied. “His name is Jack, but I call him LJ. Anyways, yeah, he was still up in the attic as the building was on fire and I kind of… ran inside.”

“You’re nuts.”

“Shut up. So, I ran in and managed to get to the attic, but LJ was pissed and thought I was working with the asshole who set fire to the place and we got into an argument. I broke the sigil, but one of the beams fell and… I shoved LJ out of the way and took the hit.”

Avery stared blankly at me, almost in disbelief as they opened and closed their mouth, trying to formulate a response.

“… you’re _alive_ after that?” They asked softly.

“She shouldn’t be.” We both looked to the corner, startled by LJ suddenly speaking. “She’s lucky she wasn’t snapped in half. Somehow the beam landed flat, knocking her the fuck out but not killing her.”

“Who the fuck are you!?”

“ _I’m_ Jack, you fucking idiot.”

“Wait, what happened while I was out?” I asked, interrupting them. “I only got the gist of what happened…”

“Well, I was pissed off for a second because you _shoved_ me.” LJ drawled before looking away a bit. “But then I realized what you did… I knew I could easily get out myself since you freed me from the trap, but I doubted anyone would get to you in time to save you. So, I returned the favor. I barely managed to get the damn beam off you, and then I had to find a way outside without making your condition worse. Too much movement and I could have probably ruptured something.”

“So… you saved her life because she saved yours?” Avery concluded.

“Pretty much, really wish I hadn’t.” LJ mumbled and I glared.

“Thanks buddy, good to know.” I deadpanned as the entity growled.

“Shut up, it’s the whole reason we’re in this mess in the first place.” He snapped.

“Wait, what?” Avery interjected again.

“Oh no, you’re not shoving this on _me_.” I snarled, standing up. “Who the _fuck_ goes into a goddamn attic with a _demonologist_ that wants to kill them?”

“Guys—”

“The kid heard shit and was scared! I was just checking to calm him down.” LJ snapped. 

“Oh? Ever hear of fucking _squirrels_?!”

“I wasn’t going to lie to him!”

“It was the middle of fucking Ohio! You know how common fucking wildlife getting into houses is!? It wouldn’t have even been a big lie!”

“GUYS!”

We stopped and turned our glares to Avery, who was also glaring at us before shaking their head.

“Great, now that we’re not in kindergarten anymore…” They drawled, waving their hand. “Please continue.” I glanced at my guardian before sighing softly.

“I woke up in the hospital, doctors were saying it was a miracle, blah blah.” I grumbled. “Went on a few more cases with my aunt before going back home for school. But then things started to get weird. These shadow things would show up and try to kill me at any given instance. At one point I randomly got a bite mark on my upper arm… my mom got worried and called my aunt to investigate. Unfortunately, she brought a ‘friend’. He’s a real asshole, some sort of eldritch being or something. He kind of forced his way into my head and looked through my memories to ‘see’ what was going on.”

“So that’s how the bastard found me.” LJ mumbled.

“I guess… he’s the one that suggested bringing Cory so you’d be more willing.” I replied dully. “But then he spat some bullshit about something called soul binding… and that when a human and entity bind their soul, their power increases or whatever and it’s a rare phenomenon. Some sort of ‘chosen one’ bullshit.”

Avery rubbed their temple, trying to process all the information.

“So… I’m guessing that soul binding thing was because of the fire?” They inquire and I nodded.

“Supposedly. I didn't believe it but…” I glanced down at my hand. “… if I get hurt, LJ get’s hurt. And vice versa. It’s a downside to being soul bound. If I die, he dies. If he dies, I die.”

“You do realize how bat shit crazy this sounds, right?”

“You’re telling me…” I sighed deeply. “But it’s true. You wanted to know how we got here… Well, my aunt’s friend was training us to protect ourselves and we were ambushed. A friend of mine got killed and… we were kind of shoved through a wormhole of sorts. Now we’re here and honestly? I have no clue what we’re supposed to be doing.” Everything went silent at that as Avery covered their mouth with one hand, resting their elbow on their knee in thought.

“This is… fucking insane.” They say after a few moments. “I mean… demons? Wormholes? This is shit you see in movies.”

“Hey man, you’re not the one _living_ it.” I shot back. “I’m not making this up. Or is LJ over there just a figment of _both_ our imagination.”

“Okay, okay, you got me there.” They admit. “I just… how far away from home are you?” I barked a laugh.

“Av, it’s not even about distance here.” I said. “I’m from the _past_. This is ten years in the future for me.” The individual falls quiet again before running their hand through their hair.

“… what the _fuck._ ” They mutter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter!   
> Sorry it's taking so long... I think I've said this before but I'm trying to get back into writing again. It's been rough but I'm still trucking.  
> Anyways, enjoy this chapter! If you did let me know! I'd love to hear the feedback. Also this is kind of dialogue heavy and a bit short, I'm still getting back into the swing of things-

Avery took a few moments to process my story, eventually pacing a bit until LJ snapped at them to stop and they once again sat in their computer chair.  
“Okay, so that explains string man…” They said. “You said… Ben possessed me?”  
“Yeah, when the Puppeteer tried to catch you, he electrocuted him and told him off.” I replied. “He tried to pretend to be you.”   
“Oh, what the fuck.” They groaned, running a hand through their hair. “I’ll deal with that later… Anyways, the puppet guy—”  
“Puppeteer.”  
“Yeah, that bitch… he’s probably gonna be back, right?” I paused at that, frowning at their flippant attitude towards what had happened.  
“More than likely.” I heard LJ respond. “Think of it like a hunt, kid. He’s got us in his sights now, he ain’t lettin’ that go.” Avery bites their lip lightly, brows furrowed in concentration as they bounce their leg. It was silent. Almost painfully so as we waited for somebody to say anything.   
“We should leave.” I said finally, looking to my guardian. LJ gave a low growl and sneered at me angrily.  
“You got a death wish?” He snaps. “You already fucked up your hand, going back out there is just gonna lead to worse, got it?”  
“Then do you just expect us to sit here and wait to be killed?” I snapped back, standing to my feet and glaring up at him. “He probably knows we’re here—”  
“It’s safer to stay put then to run around in the open and you know that.” LJ growls. “We’re staying here. I’ll tape you to the ceiling if I have to.”  
“Oh, fuck you.” I snarl.  
“You know, i-i-instead of bickering like a couple of assholes, you could take my advice and stand to do s-s-some research.” A static-y voice drawls boredly and we both look to Avery’s computer.   
“I doubt any library book will have what we need.” I deadpan.  
“Maybe not a human library.” Ben points out. “Ever hear about the Archivist?” I blink at that.  
“The what now?” I asked as LJ huffs irritably and shakes his head.  
“No way,” The monochrome entity snaps.   
“Yes way.” Ben snaps back. “Listen, I know t-the guy can be an annoyance, but right now he’s probably your best bet. He’s documented a-a-all sorts of shit, he might have something that’ll help you guys. U-Unless you wanna sit here and wait for someone to come in and kill you.”   
LJ growled at that but fell silent. Ben did have a point after all. A place with collective data that spans probably through all of space and time? He was right, it was our best bet.   
“It’s worth a shot.” I said. “Dunno how we’d get there.”  
“You guys are kind of a rare anomaly, aren’t you?” Avery speaks up. “Maybe it’ll draw his attention?”  
“Oh, most definitely.” Ben agrees. “There’s not much known about soulbinding from what I understand, so to gain that knowledge would be tempting to him.”  
“Glad we’re a novelty.” LJ drawls bitterly.  
“Don’t think of it like that…” Avery says, and LJ shoots them a glare. “C’mon, maybe the guy’s just curious.”  
“Whatever, let’s just try to get ahold of him somehow.” I interrupt, not wanting this to go into another argument.  
Don’t know if that’s the best idea, kid.  
Shut up LJ, we don’t got many options, now do we? I glare at the entity, who glares back just as fiercely. It’s only a few moments of glaring before LJ relents and sighs deeply.  
Just don’t pull anything rash like last time, okay? He says and I nod.  
“You guys done with your mental argument? Good, then let’s get down to business.” Avery says and we both turn to glare at them, causing them to hold up their hands in defense. “Geez, take a joke, I was trying to lighten the mood.”   
“You could always go back to the library.” Ben offers. “Books are kinda the guy’s thing.”  
“We could,” I agreed. “Don’t think there’s anything else we could really do.” Avery hums softly.  
“I need to go back and get a few things anyways,” They say. “Lemme grab a jacket and we’ll head out.”  
***  
This was easier said than done.  
“Shuddup and just look for a book.”   
You look for a book, you old bastard.  
“Kid why are you making this harder than need be?”   
“Are you guys arguing again? Because seriously, it’s getting old.”   
I glared over to Avery as they skimmed over the books on the higher shelves. They glanced down at me with a raised brow, almost like they were questioning why I was glaring.   
“What?” They asked.  
“Nothing.” I snapped, turning my attention back to one of the books… which happened to be some sort of fantasy romance novel. Gross. “This is stupid.”   
“Bein’ angry about it ain’t gonna change anything.” Avery points out.   
“You’re stupid.”  
“Alright, that was uncalled for.”   
“Both of you knock it off,” LJ growled. “You’re giving me a headache.” I scoffed lowly, walking down one of the book aisles and glancing around.  
“Okay, I’ll bite then, how’re we gonna get this guy’s attention?” I asked, looking back to Avery, whom shrugged in response and I huffed in irritation.   
“Uh, hope for the best?” They offer and I frown heavily at them. “Don’t give me that look, I don’t really do this shit on a daily basis, I have no clue what to do.”   
“Yeah, well, we can only sit here and pretend to read for so long.” I mumbled, leaning against one of the bookcases. “Maybe if we stick to a certain genre?”   
“Worth a shot,” LJ shrugs. “Better than wandering aimlessly.”   
“Alright, what should we go with?” Avery asks.  
“I dunno. Something dumb and boring.” I suggest.  
“Stop being a dumbass.” LJ growls. “Guy likes knowledge, so let’s start with history or something.” I couldn’t suppress the groan of disdain. “Don’t give me that, just get over there and start lookin’.” I threw my hands up in the air and started off towards the nonfiction section of the library, grumbling my displeasure along the way.


End file.
